In The Woodlands, Texas, Mao Saigo felt intense nerves before attempting her birdie putt on the initial playoff hole during the Chevron Championship on Sunday. Despite the pressure, the 23-year-old Japanese golfer successfully steadied herself to make the short putt and claim her inaugural major championship victory.
Speaking through an interpreter, she stated, “I focused on staying calm, made the shot, and it went in.”
Saigo secured her place in the playoff by birdying the par-5 18th hole in the final round, carding a 2-under 74. This put her in a five-way tie at 7-under 281 with Hyo Joo Kim, Ruoning Yin, Ariya Jutanugarn, and Lindy Duncan at The Club at Carlton Woods.
Saigo ultimately triumphed on the 18th playoff hole after both Yin and Jutanugarn narrowly missed their birdie putts. Jutanugarn had previously dropped a shot on the same hole in regulation play due to a mishit third shot.
Jutanugarn had held the lead for a significant portion of the final round, building her advantage with two birdies and an eagle on the front nine, before her costly error near the end.
She commented on her round, saying, “The front nine was very strong, particularly with the eagle, but I made a couple of errors on the par 5s on the back nine, resulting in two bogeys.”
Yin was initially in a commanding position during the playoff, reaching the green in just two strokes. However, she was unable to convert her 12-foot eagle attempt, and her subsequent putt for birdie also lipped out, opening the door for Saigo`s victory.
This win marks Saigo`s first career title on the LPGA Tour. She was recognized as the tour`s rookie of the year the previous season. Saigo is the inaugural Japanese player to win this specific event and becomes the fifth Japanese woman to claim a major championship. She also boasts six wins on the Japanese tour, five of which occurred in 2022.
Her victory follows strong performances last year, including runner-up finishes at the CPKC Women`s Open and the Buick LPGA Shanghai tournaments.
Reflecting on her previous season, she commented, “Last year the competition was very tough. I came very close but couldn`t quite get the win. It was quite disappointing. Winning an LPGA title this year feels amazing, and I`m incredibly thrilled.”
Lindy Duncan, aged 34, unfortunately bogeyed the playoff hole, falling short in her pursuit of a first career victory after over a decade on tour. Nevertheless, she expressed satisfaction with her overall showing.
She remarked, “Finishing in the top five of a major is incredible any time; having that opportunity and feeling the pressure… I also feel there are aspects of my swing and handling certain situations that I can improve. I`ll think about it, but overall, it was a fantastic week.”
This marks the second time in three years the tournament has been decided by a playoff; in 2023, American Lilia Vu won on the first extra hole with a birdie.
Saigo`s victory earned her $1.2 million out of the total $8 million prize pool.
Following a tradition dating back to 1988 at Mission Hills, where winners would jump into Poppie`s Pond, Saigo continued the custom, becoming the third champion to leap into the pool at the Texas venue. She entered the brownish water hand-in-hand with two team members, expressing her excitement with shrieks and smiles.
However, the celebratory dip proved slightly alarming for Saigo, who admitted she is not a strong swimmer.
She humorously recounted, “When I jumped in, it was quite deep, and for a moment, I thought I might drown.”
Saigo began the final day tied with Haeran Ryu at 9 under par. Despite struggling with five bogeys on Sunday, she managed to recover and make birdie on the 18th, securing her place in the playoff that led to the dramatic conclusion.
World No. 1 Nelly Korda finished tied for 14th place at 2 under, closing with a round of 70. Korda, who has not won this season, was the defending champion, having secured her record-tying fifth consecutive victory at this event last year.
Korda commented on her performance, stating, “Clearly, there are many areas I need to improve. Last year was fantastic, truly amazing, but that`s in the past. It doesn`t impact my performance going forward.”
